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I notice that they are scalping the bermuda around the lakes in Estrella. Each year they overseed rye. I was thinking of having a small patch of winter green this year, but it seems a little early to be planting it. Is now the time? Anyone know when its best to put it in. I have no bermuda to let go dormant - just a bare patch.

Ok, so I sent a mass text to 12 relatives who I know religiously go between rye and bermuda between the seasons. You'll be surprised to hear (or maybe not) that 6 said NOW, and the other six said in October...LOL! We'll be reseeding rye next week for our lawn; one cousins sent this link that says: "Bermuda Grass Life Cycle
Bermuda is grown in the Phoenix area in summer. It can take the desert's hottest weather as long as it has sufficient water. During winter it is dormant, meaning that it is yellow and appears dead. However, below the surface it is alive and waiting for warmer weather. Bermuda usually starts to slow down and go dormant in September and starts growing again in May. This life cycle makes it so Bermuda does not have to be replanted each year. Therefore, if a winter lawn is desired, it can be planted over the dormant Bermuda. When high afternoon temperatures start to kill the winter lawn, in May, the Bermuda grass takes over again.

Bermuda grasses ability to spread out can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it will quickly fill in any damaged areas in the lawn, but on the other hand it can move into flower beds and other parts of the yard where it is not desired. The best defense against this behavior is to border the lawn with a solid concrete/concrete brick border and to have a dirt or rock buffer zone outside the border that is not watered."Growing Bermuda Grass and Rye Grass In Phoenix Arizona

The best time to start Rye grass is when night time temps get down to the 60's.

Yeah, that's it what some of my relatives said. We are going to wait until October...the site says:

Quote:

Rye Grass Life Cycle

Rye is grown in the Phoenix area in winter. Since Rye does not survive the summer, it needs to be replanted every fall, in the middle of October. Rye grass stays a lustrous dark green until the middle of May, when it quickly dies off as temperatures approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

D you plant annual or perennial? I planted annual years ago and as I remember it clumps like green slime all over the mower. Perennial costs more though.

Perennial...I've don't have any experience with annual. I always was told perennial grows faster, is darker green, is "tougher," etc.

Choosing A Ryegrass Type

Ryegrass comes in two types, perennial and annual. In the lower desert, both types are more or less annual because the summer heat kills them. Perennial is more expensive than annual, but the extra cost is generally worth it, considering the effort involved in overseeding. Perennial germinates faster, has a finer leaf texture, a darker green color, and is more vigorous than annual. Also, perennial Ryegrass doesn't produce grass stains like annual does.

i think i'm going to give it one last try this year - buy the good stuff and plant earlier than years past (probably the weekend after next) - last year was my best attempt yet, but I had a big area where it just didn't grow - i think I waited too long and it wasn't getting enough sunlight to that one spot

i'm also going to make sure I get perennial - my biggest complaint in the past is that mowing it is a real pain - it doesn't dry out real well, it stains and just isn't very pleasant to deal with

well - I gave last winter a break - but had really good luck with my yard this summer filling in some patches

with 2 small children I'm going to try the old hand at overseeding again

does anyone have experience with thatch blades that attach to your lawn mower? They seem very reasonable in price and when combined with the thatch rake seemingly could provide a long term option for a lot less than renting a machine.

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